The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-11
MRS. RELcHER's WILL.
Relatives of the Deceased Tell How
Much She Loved Them.
Reverend Gentlemen Give Testimony
for the Proponents.


for the Proponents.
Mrs. Beicner's Friendllness to Bates
as Expressed TO the Clergymen.
In the Belcher will case, the testimony for
the contestants was continued yesterday
morning Frank Besse testified: II reside
in Lowell. Mrs. Belcher was my aunt. My
mother was her sister. My mother died in
August, 1875 | never resided in Farming
ton. | visited my aunt in 1870, remaining
two weeks, and again in 1880, staying only
four or five days. My aunt had invited me
great many times to visit her She always
received me well and treated me very kindly.
She always spoke Of her relatives very kind
ly to me; never heard her speak OF them
otherwise
Witness identified two letters from Mrs.
Belcher, addressed to his mother in 1865 ana
1875, respectively, and six or seven letters
addressed to himself after his mothers
death, by Mrs. Belcher. in the years 1878,
1879, 1880 ana 1881. The letters were then
read In evidence, as showing the existence
of the most kindly and friendly relations be-
tween the parties An account book, which
was admitted to be the account book Of Mrs.
Belcher. was then produced and put in evi-
dence for use by either side, as desired.
John III. Baekus, son Of John Backus,
and nephew Of Mrs. Belcher, testified that
he had called upon Mrs. Belcher frequently
in her lifetime, and that she was always up
ON the most friendly terms with him. She
always spoke Of her relatives kindly. Dur
ing her sickness, in 1883, he was invited by
Mrs. Belcher to come and see her. and
he went to the house, but Miss Higgins re-
fused to admit him.
Nathan +. Backus testified; "My father,
Francis Bachus, was a brother TO Mrs.
Belcher My father died in 1868 or 1864. /
am his only child now living. | have known
Mrs. Belcher as far back as my recollection
dates. She and my father lived in the same
house from my first remembrance until she
moved TO the house where she died. left
home when fourteen years OF age. have
since resided four years In Rhode Island, a
portion of the time in Massachusetts and for
the last ten years in Brooklyn, N. Y. have
usually spent my vacations at Pennington,
being there about once year. l used 70
stop with my grandfather, John Baekus, but
after Hiram Backus died Aunt Sally told me
that she wished me TO spend as much time
as possible with her and did so. | have
every reason to believe she was glad 10 have
me come there; she always received me very
graciously and invited me to come again.
knew the fact that will had been made at
the time it was made. l had heard talk
about that will for a good while Mrs.
Belcher told me that she had been ap-
preached to make will. That certain
man kept coming there. She told me In the
summer following the death OF Hiram, l
think, that one evening in the early part OF
the winter, the door bell rang soon after the
train came in, she went to the door and MIR.
Butler stood there with a gentleman. Mr..
Butler said to her that DIR. Cheney wished
to call upon her that evening. She asked
Mr.. Butler who DIR. Cheney was, and he re-
piled that he wished to call that evening and
see her, and she said very well, and they
went away. A little later the gentleman
presented himself and asked her il she knew
him, and upon her saying that she had never
seen him before, he introduced himself as
DIR. Cheney, saying that he had formerly
lived in Pennington and taught school
there, and had been acquainted with her
brothers and the members OF her family, and
that he had called to see her. During the
talk he told her about the work In which he
was engaged at Lewiston, and said to her,
we understand that you are lett with a
large property, and that your family and
friends are all well off and won't need 1t
and we want you to make us Donation
DIR. Cheney spent portion OF the evening
there. and then went away, leaving, one OF
his catalogues. Mrs. Beleher said she never
read it; she showed it to me; it was blue
thing. DIR. Cheney promised to call again,
and he did. How soon do not know, for |
was not there the next year. l am stating
| what Mrs. Belcher told me. subsequently L
| met DIR. Cheney there and was introduced to
him. l mean subsequently TO the time she
| told me about his calling the summer fol-
| lowing the time he caleds1 think. cannot
tell the first time met him there. He came
to the house a great many times after he
| first called, she said he wanted her 10 make
him a donation. l think twas one or two
summers after Mrs. Belcher told me about
| DIR. DIR. Cheney's calling with Mr.. Butler
that first met him there. He did not then
make his business known In my presence.
| Heneyer said anything about Bates College
in my presence, except IS invite me to take
my aunt and go down there and stop at his
/ house.
I'm a conversation had with Mrs. Belcher
| she alluded TO the fact that DR.. Cheney had
/ made proposition that II she would give
| them a sufficient sum, they would build a
| hall and name ii Belcher Hall; he said he
was doing that for the purpose OF aiding
| Door young men TO prepare for the ministry,
| 1t would do him no good, and that he had
| tried TO picture TO her how laudable such "a
| work would be. She never told me that DIR.
| Cheney had said anything to her about APP
| prOpriating Hiram's money to build Beleher
| Hall. 1t would simply be all named Beleher
Hall.
II had been accustomed when at Farming
| ton to visit the old cemetery, and observed
| that along the side next to the street u was
| covered with bushes. Mrs. Belcher referred
to something having been said about the
| strewing of flowers over Iher grave, j
| asked her why she didn't ask him II they
| had strewn flowers over Judge Parker $
| grave, as / understood he had given them
| 5000, and she said she asked him about II
| and he said no, he was sorry 70 say they had
not but had always intended TO; that after
wards he came and said that he had visited
the grave. Mrs. Belcher told me what Dr.
Cheney had said about her meeting her son
in heaven. His allusiOn was that she was
like him, that she had lost her all, and he
asked, rs not that so /? and she said, Yes
and he told her that he expected to meet his
own son in heaven and shake the friendly
hand, and asked her II she did not expect to
meet her son there. l don't think she had
much opinion about It, Mrs Becher never
said she would give me store; / would like
to have one. She frequently said l could
have store there. DIR. Cheney came there
| in company with some one else only once.
did not know the man, but DIR. Cheney told
me his name was Burke of Rangeley. l was
near the house, and wagon drove up and a
| gentleman got out, took out a valise and
went in. 1t proved to be DIR. Cheney. He
| remained that night, all the next day, and
| went away on the morning following. 1
| think DIR. Cheney was accustomed TO ask a
make his business known in my presence
| that evening after he arrived. Mrs. Beleher
| said that DIR. Cheney told her that he thought
| Hiram would approve OF her giving to the
| college If he were here. On the morning after
| he came Dr. Cheney went into the front room
| and remained there, occasionally coming out,
| nearly all day; think he remained there
until about four in the afternoon. This was
| in August If the date on that instrument is
correct. Aunt Sally and l talked about a
/ will that day; she said she was making her
| will. She mentioned to me the disposition
/ of her property only in one instance; she
asked me If | thought she could leave some
thing to Nathan w. Young by leaving it e
| the selectmen and have them give it TO him
as he needed it; l told her l thought so
After DIR. Cheney had left she said person
could make half a dozen wills, II they chose
and the last one only would hold. l am not
| positive If she said what became OF the in
| strument, but think she said DIR. Cheney
took it; am not sure. 1t is my recollection
she said he had taken it, She told me that
she intended to give up her property before
she died she said that at this same time DR.
| Cheney was there. She also told me that a
| great many other times. L don't know
whether she said this while DIR. Cheney was
in the house or not.
81 purchased the two monuments. One
| cost about $500 and the other about 500
| She purchased one for Hiram She had had
another son die before Hiram died: Judge
| Becher told her he thought one was as likely